Robert Davis 6’3 217 2016 6th round Draft Selection out of Georgia St
Welcome back to The B&G Report! Hope you enjoyed the last edition of “Rookie Prospect Spotlight”. As a Redskin Fan, it’s a hard pill to swallow that the season is all but over. I’m here to give you hope for the future though, as well as the scoop on players you might not know much about. This weeks Rookie Spotlight shines on WR Robert Davis. I finally got my wish when Mo Harris was elevated from the PS, now my other Practice Squad crush got the call! This kid is like a Lamborghini with a 16 year old driving it! He has all the size, speed, strength and athleticism to be something special! Davis just needs to be molded into a pro pass catcher. Landing this draft day gem in the 6th round, has the potential to be another Jordan Reed type of find in my opinion. I’ll go through some of his college accomplishments and what to expect from the Georgia State receiver going forward.
College Days
Davis finished his college career at Georgia State with 222 receptions, 3,391 yards receiving and 17 TD’s. The rookie did all this with spotty QB play and not much of a supporting cast. His athleticism jumps of the screen (YouTube above). Although he’s a small school prospect, this kid had some great games vs elite FBS teams. Most notably hauling in 8 catches for 93 yards with a TD vs Wisconsin (September of 2016). Davis wasn’t highly recruited based on the offensive scheme his HS team ran. Davis’s primary responsibility as a HS receiver at Warner Robins Northsode HS (GA) was run blocking. The reason the pass catcher didn’t excel as a pass catcher, was due his team running a run heavy/triple option type offense (similar to GA Tech’s scheme). When it was time for college recruiting, his running back teammates got all the attention. That’s the singular reason in ny opinion, that Davis received no real attention from college scouts and stayed in state to play ball. Simply put, the kid hasn’t even started to tap into his potential yet.
What to Expect
Davis has been on the local media tour, after being promoted from the Skins Practice Squad earlier this week. At 6’3 217 lbs, Davis instantly becomes one the biggest active receivers on the squad. What separates Davis from this rest of the group is his toughness and speed. Rumor has it, Davis deadlifted over 500 pounds during a lift session at Redskins Park. That’s a crazy amount of weight for a rookie WR! Add in the fact that he’s been clocked at 4.45 in the forty yard dash and this kid could be developed into something special! As I previously mentioned, Davis was used primarily as a run blocking receiver in HS and loves to get dirty in the trenches.OnESPN Radio’s Inside The Locker Room Davis was quoted
“I think I can make an immediate impact in the run game and special teams”
This kind of attitude is rare to see in the pros and needs to be harnessed by coaches. Word around Redskins Park is coaches love the kids intelligence, as well as his willingness to do anything for the good of the team. If you listen to this kid for five minutes, you can hear the strong family values and work ethic his father instilled in him. That is extremely important for a young player that’s still developing. Davis is the Anti-Diva type of receiver that Washington desperately needs to emerge. No word yet if Davis can return kicks or punts, but this Special Teams unit needs a boost. The amount of turnovers, mainly by Jamison Crowder are unacceptable. Keep Crowder in the slot where he fits best and try Davis as a punt returner. For now Davis looks to be a ST gunner based on his strength/size, hopefully Gruden also puts Davis out there in multiple receiver sets. This would help running back Samaje Perine run out of shotgun more often, which is what he’s more accustomed to. Having a receiver with Davis’s type of run blocking experience is underestimated. The Ryan Grant experiment needs to end now! Ok I get it Grant is a very good run blocker, knows all the routes and can play every receiver position, but he’s hit his ceiling at this point and is a free agent to be. As of now Doctson, Crowder, Harris and Davis should be your receivers going forward (in that order). Davis should also be able to line up in the slot, spelling Crowder when needed. What I love about Davis is he’s scheme versatile, which is valuable for a rookie looking to carve out a role. The Redskins will lose Pryor, Quick and hopefully don’t resign Grant, but that leaves two open receiver spots in my opinion for 2018. As I mentioned in the last B&G Report, signing a veteran receiver is a priority. That leaves one open spot, for a potential mid round WR draft pick. A speedster/slot receiver will be needed, who can also play Special Teams. Being able to develop Davis, in real game action is a luxury. Davis is a weight room junky, which most receivers are not. At nearly 220 lbs already, I could envision this kid coming into the next training camp as one of the strongest pass catchers in the league. I view him as a cross between Julio Jones & Terrell Owens in terms of skill set. I understand that might be setting expectations too high for the youngster, but I’ve watched his HS and College film. My conclusion is Davis gets better and bigger every year! It’s not inconceivable to see Davis slowly climb the depth chart and make a real contribution going forward.
Thanks for stopping by The B&G Report and I look forward to hearing reader feedback. Current Skins rookies and future draft prospect evaluations will be coming out like rapid fire 🔥🔥🔥 so stay tuned!
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